PUBG: Battlegrounds, also often called PUBG, and previously called PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, hit PC Steam Early access in March 2017, before a public release on this day in December 2017. Last week, the developers announced that the game will move to a free-to-play model from January 2022, probably in reaction to the flood of successful copycat titles that have sprung up over recent times.
In essence the PUBG game is a PvP survival shooter, where the last person/team standing wins. The game starts with up to 100 players parachuting into an island map – then the combat begins, with lots of weapons and equipment that can help you discoverable around the map. As time goes on, the playable area of the map contracts, forcing folk out of cover and into conflict, and ramping up excitement among the remaining players.
The PUBG genre has been dubbed “Battle Royale” due to the influence of the year 2000 cult Japanese movie of this name. Over recent years, Epic Games has made a huge fortune out of repurposing its Fortnite game into a Battle Royale title. Other big studios have tried to jump on board, often using their biggest franchise branding to try and spur success.
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